Summary
Background. By using radiofrequency currents, catheter ablation techniques have been established as an effective and save means in the treatment of tachycardias in adult patients. But in children and adolescents the feasibility of this therapy is still considered controverse. It was the aim of this study to show the efficacy and safety of this method in children and adolescents.
Material and methods. 84 children and adolescents from 5 months to 18 years with supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmic disorders were treated by RFCA.
Results. The ablation showed lasting success in 83 patients, two of them needed one and two further attempts respectively. In four patients tachyarrhythmic episodes recurred, in all of them repeating the intervention was finally successful. Complications occured in three patients. A twelve year old girl needed open heart surgery to remove the ablation catheter trapped in the cordae of the mitral valve, two children at the age of 13 and 30 months showed a small cardiac perforation with a moderate pericardial effusion.
Conclusions. Radiofrequency catheter ablation has been proven by this study to be effective and safe in the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias in infants, children, and adolescents.